Proportional odorizer



Ot. 27, 1936. E. ROLLE 2,058,508

PROPORT IONAL ODORI ZER Filed Aug. 13, 1954 zz/enor u Edu/aro /Qo//e Patented Oct. 27, 1936 NITED STATES' PRoPoR'rIoNAL oDomzER Edward Rolle, San Francisco, Calif., assigner to Standard Oil Company of California, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application August 13, 1934, Serial No. 739,708

2 Claims. (Cl. 261-76) This invention relates to devices forintroducing a liquid into a confined flowing stream of a gas so as to impart to the latter a distinctive and easily recognizable odor, and particularly relates to a de- 5 vice of this character that will feed the said liquid at a rate substantially proportional to the rate of gas ow.

Heretofore apparatus of this type have involved intricate and complicated systems of floats, orices, weirs, pumps and the like, all of which are susceptible to possible corrosive action lby the liquid or gas being handled. Furthermore they are usually expensive to build and maintain, and a possible failure might have disastrous consequences, particularly where a normally odorless gas, such as that from natural gas wells, is to be odorized to reveal the presence of leaks, accidentally extinguished burners'and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide an odorizer that has no mo'ving parts, that will op'- erate with only occasional inspection or checking, that will feed the odorant liquid at a rate substantially proportional to the rate of gas flow over wide variations in the latter, and that will operate satisfactorily on a very small differential pressure in the gas line, such as would be caused by a partially` closed gate valve, for example.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this type that will be simple enough to be adjusted and tested by unskilled labor, and in Ywhich the continuity and correctness of operation may be determined quickly by a visual inspection, and without interfering with those forces' tending-to cause the flow of odorant liquid through its control means.

`Another object is to provide an apparatus of this type which is economically and readily fabricated and installed from available standard parts. 40 These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description which follows and from the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, which forms a part of this speci-- fication and illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing the numeral I'represents a gas line or conduit in which the direction of flow is indicated by the arrow. In the gas line I is an orice plate or other dierential pressure producing restriction 2 such as a partially closed valve. Pressure connections or conduits 3 and i with conventional block valves 5 and 6 lead off from line I above and below the restriction Z, as shown. The higher pressure or upstream line 3 leadsto the gas space of a closed storage tank l,

mounted several feet above the gas line I and which is adapted to contain the odorant liquid 8. Tank l is preferably horizontal so that the slight variation in liquid head as the liquid ,isv withdrawn will have relatively little effect on the operation of the device. A gage glass 9 may be provided to indicate-the liquid level.

'Ihe liquid outlet conduit IIJ from tank 'l leads through a throttling type valve II, which may be a needle valve, to the top of a sight glass I2, l0 similar in form to a conventional drip typelu-v bricator. Liquid outlet conduit I3 leads from the bottom of sight glass I2 through a valve I4, which is preferably of the quick closing type, to the lower` pressure or downstream connectionll, l5 through which latter the odorant liquid may enter' gas line I. A bypass conduit I5 from the top of sight glass I2 connects with liquid outlet I3 below valve I4, for a purpose which will be described below. Another bypass conduit II,.tted 20 with a throttling type valve Il is vprovided be tween higher pressure line 3 and lower pressure line t below the apparatus just described, as shown. f.

During the installation of this equipment, it is 25 desirable to calibrate the .sight glassV -I2 and that part of the liquid outlet I3 between it and the valve I4. This may be done by closing valve I and filling sight glass I2 and the conduit therebetween with liquid from a graduate until a def- 30 inite identifiable level 'appears in glass I2. This value is preferably converted into units of 1/ 1000 gallon, and will be utilized in a manner to be described below.

nTo place the device in operation, the tank 'I is 35' filled withy the desired odorant liquid 8. Valves 5, S, and II are opened and valve I Il and Il are closed. A time is chosen when the gas ow in line I is substantially low or at a minimum, asv indicated by the usual gas metering equipment 40 (not shown) in the line I. From this value of gas flow, expressed in millions of cubic feet per unit of time, the throttle valve -II is adjusted until the rate of odorant liquid flow into sight glass I2, as previously determined from the cali- 45 the desired setting of throttle valve II has been determined, as just outlined, valve Id is opened and allowed to remain so, thus permitting the liquid to ow continuouslyl out ofy glass I2, as

.fast as it accumulates therein. Valve I 'I is so far permitted to remain closed.

'I'he next step in the adjustment is preferably made when the gas' flow in line Iis substantially high or at a maximum. It will then be found, upon closing valve Ill and determining the time for sight glass I2 to i'lll to the calibrated point, that the rate of odorant ow will be much higher than its chosen proper proportional value for the high gas flow rate. Throttle valve 'Il in bypass I6 is then slowly opened, reducing the diierentialavailable to cause odorant to flow through valve II, until the flow of odorant, as determined by -the calibrated sight glass I2 and valve I6, has

been reduced to the desired proportional value.

.Thuswith the throttle valveil I, the odorant feed rate may be adjusted as desired at a time the gas flow is at a minimum, and with throttle valve I'I, the odorant feed rate may be adjusted to the same -value at a time when the gas flow rate is maximum. The odorant flow rate at intermediate gas rates will be found to be substantially proportional thereto, at least within the range of practical and eiective operation. Bypass I will permit the'momentary stopping of the liquid ow into line I, and its accumulation in sight glass I2, for the calibration and adjustments outlined Without interfering with the differential pressure forces normally acting upon the flow of liquid through valve Il from tank l.

Although a specic example embodying this invention has been illustrated and described, it is ,to be understood that 'modifications and changes could be made without departing therefrom, consequently all such devices as fall within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby. I claim: 1. Apparatus for feeding a liquid into a con- .conduit when the pressure 'ned streamv of gas, comprising a conduit for said gas, flow restriction means in said conduit for producing a pressure differential therein, a liquid storage tank, a pressure conduit leading from said gas conduit at a point above said restriction into said tank at a point above the liquid level therein, va liquid outlet conduit leading from said tank into said gas conduit blow said restriction, a valve in said liquid outlet conduit adapted to control the rate of liquid flowing therethrough when the pressure differential is at a minimum, a sight feed means in said liquid outlet conduit, a bypass conduit connecting said pressure conduit and said liquid outlet conduit at a point below the flow control valve in said last named conduit, and a Valve in said bypass adapted to control the rate of liquid flowing into said gas differential therein is at a maximum.

2. Apparatus for feeding a liquid into a conned stream of gas, comprising a conduit for said gas, ow restriction means in said conduit for producing a pressure dierential therein, a liquid storage tank, a pressure conduit leading from said gas conduit at a point above said restriction into said tank, a liquid outlet conduit leading from said tank into said gas conduit below said restriction, a valve in said liquid outlet conduit adapted to control. the rate of liquid flowing therethrough when the "pressure differential is at a minimum, a by-pass conduit connecting said pressure conduit and said liquid outlet conduit at a point below the ow control valve in said last named conduit, a valve in said bypass adapted to control the rate of liquid'flowing into said gas conduit when the pressure differential therein is vat a maximum, and a means in said liquid outlet conduit for Calibrating said iiow control means, said means comprising a sight glass, a. valve in the outlet from saidsight glas's and a bypass for said sight glass and said last named valve.

l EDWARD ROLLE. 

